Ewald at the Capitol

Senate Republicans Announce Budget Targets

This week, Senate Republicans announced their intention to pass a $51.9 billion two-year state budget. Their proposal includes $591 million in tax relief on Paycheck Protection Program loans, tax relief for unemployment benefits, and no proposed tax increases. While most specific details are not yet available, other measures include a 5 percent cut to state government administrative costs, $100 million for unemployment due to the pandemic and $40 million for broadband expansion, among others. The Senate budget does not include one-time federal COVID-19 relief funds.

Funding for Summer Learning Opportunities Advances

This week, the House Education Finance Committee advanced legislation to provide summer learning opportunities to help mitigate pandemic-related learning loss. HF1064 provides $104.5 million for initiatives including summer enrichment programs, early learning, mental health supports, mentoring and tutoring, summer college for high school graduates and adult basic education. Many of these components are also included in Gov. Walz’s budget recommendations, but a similar package has yet to advance in the Senate.

COVID-19 Restrictions Dialed Back

On Monday, Gov. Walz announced updates to Minnesota’s COVID-19 mitigation efforts. They include measures to:

Make it easier to safely gather with family:

Social gatherings: Up to 50 people outdoors or 15 people for indoor gatherings, both without household limits.
Youth sports: Pod size increasing to 50 for outdoor activities.
Religious services: Remove occupancy limit, but social distancing required.
Celebrations: Follow venue guidance.

Support small businesses:

Bars and restaurants: Increasing allowable occupancy to 75 percent, up from 50 percent, with a limit of 250 people. The limits apply separately indoors and outdoors. Bar seating increases to parties of 4.
Salons/barbers: Removing the occupancy limit, but social distancing required.
Gyms/fitness centers/pools: Increasing allowable occupancy to 50 percent, up from 25 percent. Outdoor classes can increase to 50 people.
Entertainment venues: Increasing allowable occupancy to 50 percent, up from 25 percent, both indoors and outdoors, with a limit of 250.

These adjustments became effective at noon on Monday, March 15. More information on the state’s response to COVID-19 is available here.

Election of University of Minnesota Regents

The House and Senate met in a joint convention Monday to elect four new members to the University of Minnesota Board of Regents. The four newly elected members were narrowed down from a slate of eight candidates recommended by the House and Senate Higher Education Committee in February, in addition to a candidate who was nominated on the House floor. The four new board members are:

From the 1st Congressional District: Ruth Johnson from Rochester;
From the 4th Congressional District: James Farnsworth from St. Paul;
From the 6th Congressional District: Kodi Verhalen from Elk River; and
From the 7th Congressional District: Doug Huebsch from Perham.

To be elected, candidates needed a majority vote of the 201-member Legislature. The board is the only governmental body in the state whose members are elected by the Legislature. It’s comprised of 12 members: one from each of the state’s eight congressional districts and four at-large seats. Members serve staggered six-year terms without pay. In odd-numbered years, one-third of the board is up for election.

Session's Second Deadline

The second legislative committee deadline is midnight on Friday, March 19. Committees must act favorably on policy bills, or companions of bills, that met the first deadline in the other house. Bills that do not make this deadline could resurface as amendments to bigger bills or be part of final negotiations, but are technically considered “dead.” Winnowing the number of bills in play is a method the legislature uses to narrow its focus to passing a budget and finishing its work in May.